People touching the packaging of chicken could easily pick up the bacteria and should wash their hands with soap and warm water afterwards to be completely safe, said a spokesman from the Food Standards Agency.

"You could put raw poultry in a separate bag as well, as there is always a small risk," he added.

In the UK, campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of food poisoning, says the NHS.

Around 280,000 cases of food poisoning each year are associated with the bug.

According to a report published by the FSA earlier this year, around six in 10 whole supermarket chickens are infected with the bacteria. In 4% of cases, this bacteria is found outside of the packaging.